Frozen Doors
by Illa Darling
Summary: Elsa and Anna have finally reunited, but good things don't tend to last. Warm Anna suddenly creates icy doors of her own, and events spiral lower and lower as Anna takes her final breath, Elsa contemplates death, and a bitter witch questions the meaning of sisterhood. AnnaxKristoff ElsaxOC
1. Chapter 1

**A/N: **Merry Christmas, everybody! I know, I know. I haven't been writing for sooo long, and, er, I really apologize for that. But now I'm going to make things even worse by writing a fanfic on Frozen instead of LesMis. I'm terrible, huh? Well, I couldn't help it. I read some really wonderful Frozen fanfics (and some really distressing ones – no hard feelings to anyone) and so I thought, "Why not make my own?" Enjoy, and again, Merry Christmas! (No Elsanna! Just good ol' sister love.)

* * *

Chapter One

"Elsa?"

Anna peeked into the chamber. It seldom snowed in the young queen's room nowadays, and the glow of the fireplace stretched its rosy fingers even to the doorway. A perfect mood to break the news . . .

"I'm here, Anna."

At the sound of Elsa's voice, quiet and gentle, the strawberry blonde squirmed. "Hi! I mean, good evening . . . your Highness . . . How was your meeting with, er, what's-his-name?"

"Prince Flynn of France. I believe it went smoothly enough. How was your afternoon with Kristoff?"

"My afternoon with Kristoff?" laughed Anna nervously, plastering a smile on her face. "Well, it went, you know, the way things are supposed to happen when you go down to the village and meet stranger—um, I mean, ordinary people along the way, you know? Of course, you're the Queen, so you don't really go to town and meet strange people—er, but anyway, that doesn't really matter. But Kristoff was a real gentleman, even though he's not a prince, so . . ."

As she listened to the endless babble, Elsa searched her sister's face gravely. A feverish light glowed in Anna's eyes, and her round cheeks flushed a strange crimson. Slowly, Elsa's smile faded.

"Anna!" she broke in sharply. Her sister started and looked up, fidgeting with a braid of hair. Immediately chagrined with her own sudden change of mood, Elsa took a deep breath and began again, not ungently, "Anna, what's going on? There's something you're not telling me."

"I . . . well, it's nothing really. And I don't want to startle you or anything."

"You can tell me, Anna," prompted the Queen quietly, keenly observing the princess's uneasiness. "You can tell me anything."

Anna shook her head vehemently. "I can't. I don't even really know myself, so I'll just step outside, and when I puzzle it all out I'll let you know, ok?" As she spoke, the princess laughed uncomfortably and retraced her footsteps to the door.

"Anna?"

"It has nothing to do with you," returned the girl curtly, "I shouldn't have come here. It doesn't do any good, so I'll be going now."

"Anna!"

But the princess had fled up the corridor, and somewhere downstairs a door slammed shut.

Chilly frost pervaded the Queen's chamber, snuffing out the warm, hazy fire. Anna shouldn't be acting like this. She never spoke that way! Not warm, sunshiny Anna of Arendelle.

Heaven knows how guilty Elsa still felt over the near-death experience. No, not _near_ death. Shivering, she remembered the icy touch of Anna's face—a lifeless statue crafted by the Queen's own accursed hand. Afterwards, she had tried so hard to fix everything, to bridge over the chasm of echoing silence and slammed doors. But every time she saw that sweet face and heard that silly little voice, she saw the girl forever frozen in love and agony.

Elsa closed her eyes, painfully recalling the night after their reunion.

_"Elsa?"_

_"What is it, Anna?" _

_"I wanted to tell you something. Something important. It's just that . . . well, I wanted you to know I would never _ever _shut you out."_

_"How could you say that to me, Anna? You have every right to shut me out. After what I did . . ."_

_"But you only did that because you loved me. And you didn't want to hurt me. You did more than anyone in all of Arendelle ever did. People always hurt each other, but you sacrificed everything to keep Arendelle safe. You're a hero, Elsa." _

"El—Queen Elsa!"

The great hulk of an iceman appeared at the doorway, shattering Elsa's reverie.

"What is it, Kristoff?"

"It's Anna," he gasped, breathless and worried. "She's sick."

Elsa's face turned ashen and a great blizzard shrieked outside, rattling at the windows. "Sick?" she repeated. "Where is she? Take me to her!"

Half stumbling down the stairs, Kristoff led Elsa into the cellar below the castle.

"What on earth is she doing here?" said Elsa. "She'll freeze herself to death!"

"I d-d-didn't know you f-felt the cold," stuttered Kristoff, face pale, lips blue, and breath manifest in tiny white clouds.

"Give me some credit, Kristoff. Look at yourself!"

They rushed down the underground steps, halting in horror at the sight of the small, pale figure that lay at the bottom of the staircase.

"Anna!" cried Elsa, dropping down to her knees and feeling the princess's forehead. She withdrew her hand, heart pounding hard. The platinum blonde managed to steady her voice, "She's burning, Kristoff! Get help, quickly."

"Let me bring her up," insisted Kristoff, his eyes never leaving Anna's face. Feeling terribly helpless, Elsa watched as the young official lifted her sister into his arms and carried her up the stairs.

* * *

Anna shivered. An uncomfortable chill pricked at her uncovered feet, making her retreat into a bundle of mattresses. Elsa sat sleeping on the floor at the edge of the bed, clutching her hand.

Oh. So that explained the numb fingers. Without thinking, Anna yanked her hand away.

Elsa murmured in her sleep and turned her head, revealing a face worn-out by tears and worry.

Remorse filled every inch of the strawberry blonde's heart. She slipped her little hand back into her sister's and squeezed her eyes shut, hoping for sleep to come back and claim her. _But the sky's awake. And I'm awake . . . _

_She was crying. Two weeks after being reunited with her sister, Anna lay in bed, sobbing and shaking. _

_Suddenly Elsa's comforting arms were around her, and a lovely, quiet voice whispered, "Anna, what's wrong?" _

_"Elsa?" The young princess snuggled close to her sister and tried unsuccessfully to stifle her sobs._

_"I'm here," she said soothingly. "What's wrong?"_

_"I . . . I went to your room," she sniffled, "And your door was shut. I tried to . . . to knock, but you wouldn't open."_

_"Shhh, it was just a dream," whispered Elsa, pain visible in her crystal eyes. "I'm so sorry, Anna."_

_"But that's not it," the girl choked, tears streaming down her cheeks, "It was my fault. I banged open the door and you were sitting on the other side of the room—" A spasm of hiccups and sobs broke her voice, and every little cough stabbed Elsa's heart. "And you were . . . frightened of me."_

_Elsa's lips twitched. She didn't mean to laugh, but the idea of little Anna hurting her? "Oh Anna, I would never fear you." _

_"You promise?"_

_"I promise."_

Suddenly the smell of smoke snapped Anna out of her dream. Horrified, she jerked away from her sister and gazed at her hand.

Her hand. Her own hand . . .

"Hello, princess."

An old, withered voice that belonged to an old withered woman suddenly spoke in the silent room. "Out of the darkness in the corner, a young lady stepped forward, as beautiful and radiant as the sun.

"How did you get in here?" gasped Anna, trying to get up from the bed.

"Shhh, no, no, no," whispered the woman soothingly, advancing with her slender arms stretched out. "We don't want to wake your sister, do we? Poor Queen Elsa, so tired from worrying over you. But I don't have much time. You must come with me."

"What? Why?" Alarmed, Anna threw her arms over the sleeping Elsa. "Get away from my sister!"

"Look at yourself," replied the woman sympathetically. "Look at what you're doing."

"Anna looked down at her hands and yelped, flying as far away from her sister as possible. "What . . . what's wrong with her?"

"Oh, there's nothing wrong with _her._ It's you, Anna."

"No, get away!"

"This time, it's all you. But can you be brave, little one?"

"No!"

"Can you be the hero?"

Anna shrank into the corner, wrapping her arms around her knees and squeezing her eyelids shut.

"Poor princess Anna. You have no choice. Unless . . . you'd risk hurting her. She'll fear you, Anna. She'll _hate _you. But you must do the right thing."

A ghost of a smile floated over the strange lady's lips, and she stretched out her hand in offering. Anna hesitated. But a glance at her sister was all it took to harden the soft features of the princess's face and lift her hand to the stranger.


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N: **Thank you all for enjoying the story! Have no fear – I'll be updating as frequently as possible. Without further ado, I give you the second chapter. (I couldn't write, "Without further ado, chapter two" because that rhymes plain silly. Am I always this weird? Why, yes. Yes I am!) Enjoy!

* * *

Chapter Two

Kristoff was having the worst night of his life. Sure, he'd suffered a lot. But for the first time in a long while, he had to go through the tormenting process of suffering on account of someone else.

"Hey buddy?"

A series of snorts replied as the preoccupied reindeer chewed his supper.

"Would you rather have the people you loved suffer or exchange places with them?"

Snort.

"Yeah, I know. But still, this is my fault. I'm sure it's my fault. Do you think it's my fault?"

Sven responded with a pointed look, followed by another snort.

Kristoff sighed. "I shouldn't have brought her to town anyhow. I just thought . . . well, you know, I hoped she'd appreciate me a bit more if I showed her around the village."

_You honestly think she doesn't appreciate you? And what do _you _know about being with actual, real, live people in the village? _replied the reindeer with his half-lidded eyes.

"It'd be nice to hear compliments once in a while," retorted the iceman with a huff. "If you ask me, that princess can't survive one day out of her castle!"

_She went out alone in search of her sister. And faced blizzards. And snow monsters. And—_

"Alright, alright!" grumbled Kristoff. "But she had us. Don't forget it!"

_W-e-l-l? Are you going to tell Queen Elsa?_

"Of course I'm going to tell her!"

_T-h-e-n . . . _

"Sometimes I really, really don't like you. Stay here. I'll be back." Armed with hat and mittens, Kristoff braced himself against the stormy weather outside and headed for the castle.

* * *

"_Anna," mumbled the Queen, turning over on the hard floor. Deep in a troubled slumber she dreamed, unconscious of the slippery ice that shimmered around her. _

"_Your Highness!"_

"_What? Kristoff!" _

_Elsa caught her breath at the sight of the empty bed in front of her. "Kristoff, where's Anna?" _

"_With all due respect, your Majesty, that's what I was going to ask you."_

_Elsa's surprised expression hardened. "Kristoff," she began in a warningly low voice, "Anna was hiding something from me yesterday—something about what happened in the village. With you." _

"_Your Highness, I . . . I was going to tell you." Kristoff gulped. Yeah, he'd faced snowstorms and angry princesses—well, one princess, to be precise—but an angry Queen who could turn you into ice?_

"_It all began yesterday—"_

"_Kristoff, we both know it began yesterday," interrupted Elsa with a tap of her foot. _

"_Okay, okay, and so Sven and I picked Anna up at the castle and brought her to the village . . ."_

* * *

"Won't this be just wonderful?" squealed Anna, hopping into Kristoff's sleigh. "I can't wait to meet more people! I mean, the gate's open and all but it would be nice to have no one expecting anything of me, being a princess and all that."

"Is that a reference to your sis—"

"Ooh, we should go undercover!" broke in the princess as Sven began trotting. "Then _nobody _will know who we are."

"Anna, I think that's the purpose of going undercover."

"Can we? Please? Please, please, please?"

Of course, not even the iciest heart could refuse melting under those large brown eyes, even more adorable than Sven pleading for a carrot—and for Kristoff, that was saying a lot.

"Fine," he sighed.

Anna let out another delighted squeal, followed by a warm hug that caught the iceman by surprise and induced a pleased smile.

They halted at the foot of the village and dismounted, consoling the rather disappointed reindeer with a carrot. Kristoff had no need for a disguise (even as the official Ice Deliverer of Arendelle, he trusted the well-loved Olaf to dispatch the ice), but Anna had to conceal her fine dress with Kristoff's large coat and let down her hair, much to the iceman's awe. She finished her disguise with a great hood that covered half her face.

"C'mon!" she laughed, grabbing Kristoff's arm and heading for the village.

Everything went the way it was supposed to—reminiscent of the French Prince Eugene's recounting of his sweetheart's first visit to town.

Well, almost everything.

Late afternoon arrived, and a fortune-teller opened shop. She was a young woman, tall and slender with hair the same shade as Anna's.

"Come!" she whispered, with a smile, "Come and know your fortune!"

Anna jumped up and down like the child that she was. "Can we go, Kristoff?"

Kristoff groaned. "Not again with that face."

"What face?" she returned innocently.

"Hey, how about this? You go ahead while I get something for us to eat. Don't talk to strangers."

"Um, but . . ."

"No talking to strangers. No exceptions." With a firm nod of his head, Kristoff turned and began sniffing for the mouth-watering aroma he'd caught scent of a few hours back.

* * *

"_Wait, hold up," interrupted Elsa with a glint in her eye. "You left Anna ALONE?" _

_Kristoff squirmed. "Yeah, but just keep listening . . ."_

* * *

"Come in! Come in!" enticed the fortune-teller, stretching her arms wide in welcome. At the sight of the princess in disguise, she crooned, "My dear, would you like to know your fortune?"

Anna, who resolved to obey Kristoff's command, nodded enthusiastically.

"Then enter, sweet child. What is your name?"

Anna gulped.

"Is there something wrong?"

Anna shook her head.

"Where are you from?"

Anna bit her lip.

"Let me see your hand."

Anna sighed in relief.

The beautiful lady gently took the princess's arm, but at first gaze, she let out a gasp and dropped it as if she were holding fire. "You!" she cried. "The Princess of Arendelle."

"Wait, I'm sorry I didn't tell you," began Anna hurriedly, forgetting obedience in her distress.

"The Queen's sister," continued the woman, making a choked sound.

"Um, yeah?"

"Get out!"

"But . . ."

"Leave this place at once!"

"Hold on a sec. I'm the princess here. Er, I mean, I could tell Elsa about this."

A sudden light dawned in the woman's eye. "That's right," she breathed, but much to Anna's displeasure, the fortune-teller didn't seem the least bit afraid. She stepped forward, a greedy glint in her eyes.

"O-o-kay," said Anna, slowly backing up, "I think it's my turn to, um, say I've gotta go. Ha, ha, I . . . gotta go!"

Another quick jerk from the fortune-teller sent Anna stumbling out of the tent backwards, tripping down one of the stairs.

* * *

"_That's when I saw her," said Kristoff lamely. "I ran down to her. I even let go of the strudels. And then the fortune-teller did something crazy. She just grabbed Anna's arm and struck her straight across the cheek. I mean, she just slapped the princess of Arendelle!" His voice rose in fury, "After that, something felt wrong. And on our way back to the castle, Anna didn't seem . . . herself. I forced her to tell me the whole story, but she got upset and, well, the evening didn't turn out to be much of a success."_

"_Oh Anna . . ."_

_For a split-second, Kristoff caught the desperation and agony in Elsa's face. But only for that brief moment, and then a frosty anger and determination took over. _

"_Prepare your sleigh," she ordered, leaving the room. "We're going to find my sister." _

**A/N:** So . . . I know I took a _bit _longer than I expected, and this chapter is rather slow. Hopefully the next one will come faster, with more drama of course. x)


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter Three

Darkness. Even when Anna opened her eyes, the nightmares managed to follow her into life. Small flickers of orange light flashed around her, sometimes here and sometimes there. Strangely, the air around her felt comfortable and warm. She hadn't felt such pleasant warmth in a long while. She wriggled her toasted toes, no longer numb from the winter storm.

"You like it, don't you?" said the withered voice that had also sprung forth from Anna's nightmares. "It must be wonderful to experience the kindness of summer, after those long winters with your sister."

Guilt elbowed Anna's stomach, ten times more painful than before because this time, the princess really did feel happy. "I did as you asked," she managed in a weak voice.

"Yes, you've been a very good girl," agreed the lady in the darkness. "Your sister will never forgive you for leaving, but this is for her sake."

"For her sake," Anna repeated, shivering despite the warmth around her. She closed her eyes, a sudden ache pressing against her chest. Before she could stop herself, hot tears began streaming down her cheeks, vanishing into the air as they fell.

"For Elsa," she whispered.

* * *

Calm. Calm and collected. Elsa breathed slowly, trying with some difficulty to soothe the freezing wind that howled around Kristoff's sleigh. It didn't help to focus on the iceman, whose teeth chattered with annoying repetition.

Think of Anna. That's right. Think of the warm, sunshiny princess of Arendelle. Her sister.

But images of a frozen Anna, icy and colorless, flashed across her mind and the wind screamed.

"Umm, your Highness?"

Anna was probably dying, cold and stiff, in this winter storm, if not dead already.

"Queen Elsa, maybe you could calm it down a bit?"

Freezing alone.

"Elsa!"

She blinked.

"Your Highness," gasped Kristoff, his lips blue. "I can't see through this blizzard."

Right. This was all her doing, all in her mind. Calm down. Then Anna won't have to suffer in this cold. Slowly the storm stilled, and the Queen could see the roofs of the village peeking out through the haze.

Kristoff jumped off his sleigh, helping Elsa down, and the two roamed through the village, crying, "Princess Anna! Has anyone seen the princess?"

But the wind stole their voices away into the air, and few of the townsfolk dared to leave their homes in such weather. Desperately the Queen and the iceman pounded on their doors, yelling, threatening, and pleading. Yet the forbidding doors stood firm, glaring at them with wooden eyes.

At the last door, Kristoff fell, no strength left to knock. Hope had left him, the last bit of hope that he would ever see his Anna again.

That last ray hadn't abandoned the Queen yet, and with shaking hands Elsa raised herself to the final door and knocked. No answer. A sudden chill swept over her.

"Please," she whispered hoarsely, leaning her head against the barred entrance, "Please, I need to find her . . . just let me in."

And the door creaked open, light flooding around her and sparkling against the snow.

"Your Majesty!" exclaimed an astonished voice, "Please come in."

"Wait. Kristoff."

"Don't worry. My boy will bring him in. Erik!"

A young man emerged from the corner with a quiet, "Yes, mama." In a moment, he had cloaked himself with a thin coat and disappeared into the blizzard.

The mother, an old woman with trembling hands, gently led the pale queen to a chair beside the fire. Slowly, the snow that trailed inside melted.

"Have you seen my sister?"

"Forgive me, Your Highness, but I haven't. Two strangers did come yesterday—"

Elsa's eyes lighted. "To a fortune-teller?"

"Why, yes." The woman frowned. "We know her as Gunda here. She . . . she disappeared yesterday night, but I can take you to her old tent. One of the strangers—your sister, Princess Anna—was seen there."

"Please take me there."

"Your Majesty." The woman bowed low in compliance. "But let me warn you, she is a dangerous person and known here for her vocal disapproval of . . . of you, Your Majesty."

Elsa grimaced inwardly. "I know many people here are not overly fond of a woman who cast Arendelle into eternal winter," she replied stiffly.

"But Your Majesty," protested the woman, "The entire village loves you! Only that witch did not, yet even—"

Suddenly the door opened and a cold breeze swept through the house. The good host's son appeared, dragging with some difficulty a shivering Kristoff. "He's fine," huffed the young man, his keen glance catching the concerned expression in Elsa's eyes.

"My boy," said the old woman, "We will take the Queen and the Official to Gunda's tent."

A look of displeasure flushed over the man's face as he heard the name, but with a low bow he nodded.

* * *

The tent was small. As they mounted the steps, Erik of Arendelle noticed the frosty anger in the queen's face.

"Are you angry with Gunda?" he murmured.

She didn't bother to deny it.

"Then you must know that if she did steal your sister, she was only doing what seemed justified in her eyes."

Unable to make anything of this, Elsa turned her attention to her surroundings. Boxes and books lay scattered on the ground, no longer valued to the disappeared fortune-teller. A round table stood at the center of the tent, with a pole driven through it into the ground. Strewn over it were cards and dice. Searching through the cards, Elsa stiffened.

There, pinned down on the Queen of Diamonds by a sharp knife, lay a note addressed to the Queen of Arendelle.

* * *

Anna's cheeks burned. Every time her tears began to flow, the sound of water hissed and turned into mere vapor. She tried to check her sobs, the pain too great to bear, but each second ticking by reminded her of Elsa and Kristoff and her new life, a life of more closed doors and loneliness.

"But I'm doing this for Elsa," she reminded herself in a whisper, tears running down again.

"It doesn't help to _feel_, poor child," sympathized the fortune-teller, who sat stirring a pot over the fire across her. "Only ice can thaw. But what else can melt? No, Anna, love will not open its arms to _you_."

"Go away," returned Anna, trying to imitate the commanding air of her sister. She only succeeded in remembering Elsa's face and weeping afresh. The despairing princess dropped her head into her arms and shook violently.

The pain of her tears almost matched that of her memory.

"Don't feel," Gunda crooned. "The Queen has forgotten about you. Follow suit, my dear."

"What . . . what do you mean?" sniffled Anna, looking up quickly. "She would never forget about me."

"Poor Princess. When the new Queen fled into the mountains, you went after her, quite bravely I might add. But where is Queen Elsa when her sister disappears? She has not searched for you. She's forgotten you."

"_No! _Go away!"

"Is that all you can say, Anna?"

Something burned deep inside the young princess. _Let it go, _goaded the voice in the darkness. And she did. A great surge erupted from her body, flaring out against the walls of the cavern. She couldn't feel the cold at all, or the blazing heat for that matter. She couldn't feel anything, but at least the tears had stopped.

**A/N: **Ta-da! :)


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter Four

Gunda watched, her eyes feasting on the flames before her. When the blaze cooled to a warm glow, she hurried down to the princess, who sat staring stupidly at her hands. The warmth in Anna's cheeks dwindled into gray, and her eyes returned to their normal glittering blue.

"Beautiful, my dear," laughed the witch. "You see? Fire surpasses the beauty of ice, and now you know why Queen Elsa must never find you. All is well, then, to know that your sister isn't searching for you."

Anna covered her ears with her hands. She didn't want to listen anymore. She didn't want to hear Elsa's name and remember the ache. The fire had helped. When its flames licked around her, she couldn't feel anything. No Kristoff. No Arendelle. And especially no memories of a sister standing at a gate with her cold, slender arms wide open . . .

But now the fire had left her. She felt cold and remembered Elsa. Her trembling hands were pale, almost white, and staring at them reminded her of Elsa. Everything she saw and felt and heard rekindled memories of her old life. And it hurt.

Closing her eyes, Anna drifted into a cold, dark sleep.

_"Anna!" _

_She turned, searching hopelessly for the face that matched the voice. Darkness ate up every corner, filled up every hole. In desperation and anger, she unleashed the torch within, letting it burn up the darkness._

_At last the darkness retreated, and she found the crystal eyes and the platinum blonde hair twisted into a braid. But the expression was all wrong. The eyes were supposed to smile at her teasingly, but they stared back horrified. The arms should have opened wide in welcome embrace, but instead she lifted them in defense, a cold and frightened barrier. _

_"Elsa?" she cried, hot tears streaming down and burning her cheeks. "But you promised! You promised! Please don't slam the door . . ." _

"Anna!"

Her eyes snapped open. No . . . she was dreaming. She didn't just hear that voice . . .

"Anna!"

Elsa stood at the entrance. Her arms . . . Anna stared in wonder. They were stretched open.

_I'm still dreaming, _she thought. Surprised joy surged inside, and with a delighted squeal, she jumped up, feeling free for the first time in a long while. She almost reached her, before an urgent voice inside her screamed, _what if this isn't a dream? What if Elsa's really there, and I hurt her? _A sick feeling swirled in her stomach, and she wheeled away from her sister, ignoring the hurt in Elsa's eyes.

"Anna," pleaded Elsa quietly, stepping forward, "You're safe now. We've got you."

"Go away," Anna whispered, her heart twisting.

"Anna, you mustn't fear the witch. I'm right here for you; just let me—"

"_Go away!_"

Elsa created a barrier of ice just in time before a vicious burst of flames erupted from the princess's fingers and swallowed the frozen water.

_No . . . not Anna. _

Anna caught the horrified expression on her sister's face and her heart gave a painful wrench. _She's frightened of me. _The flames intensified, swirling rapidly around her.

"Anna, no."

A shrill laugh echoed in the cave, and the witch struggled against Kristoff's iron grasp. Hatred sparkled in her eyes—gleeful hate.

Elsa whirled around to face the witch. "What did you do to her?" she seethed.

"I've set her free. I've given her beauty and life. I've made her everything you are not!"

"She hasn't done anything to deserve this!"

"_She_ hasn't!" spat Gunda. "But you have. You ugly, disgusting _murderer_!"

Elsa paled as she heard the words. Why did they sound so familiar to her? Why did they . . . _Ugly. Disgusting. Murderer. _Yes. That's why. Because that's what she was, and those words belonged to her. All of Arendelle knew it. Only one person thought otherwise . . .

"You are no queen," the witch continued, "Murderer! You thief of life and sunlight and warmth!"

"Don't talk to her like that!"

Witch and Queen turned to see Anna trembling violently, her eyes flashing.

"You don't talk to my sister like that!"

_Oh Anna. _Cold tears brimmed in Elsa's eyes—the first time she cried since Anna froze. Her heart ached to reach out for her sister and hold her there in safety and comfort. But every step closer sent Anna flying backwards, the longing in her face struggling against fear.

"Please, Anna, come back with us. I understand everything. You're safe."

"I can't," choked the princess, hiccups breaking her voice. "It's you. Elsa, you can't be here. Just . . . just go away and you'll be safe from me."

"Anna—"

But the strawberry blonde had covered her ears with her hands, squeezing her eyes shut and muttering, "Fire has no place with ice. Fire has no place with ice. Fire has no place with . . ."

Gunda laughed, her eyes gleaming. "You see? Poor Queen Elsa. Forever separated from her sister. Either she'll destroy you, or you'll choke her to death. That's all your winter ever does."

"You'll take back whatever curse you've inflicted on my sister, or I'll—"

"You'll what? You can't do anything," sneered the witch, "except kill and kill and kill. Go ahead! Kill your sister like you did last time!"

Elsa flinched, her eyes darkening. Slowly she waved her hands in a circular motion, and the cave air turned chilly with frost.

"Ha! The Queen is upset! And all because it's true. You killed your sister and you can't defend yourself!"

A flurry of freezing snow burst from Elsa's fingers and sent a sharp icicle whizzing towards the witch. It dropped inches away from her torso.

"Fix Anna or next time it won't stop," warned Elsa.

But Gunda just laughed again. "You don't understand, do you? Look!" She gestured towards Anna, who had dropped, trembling, to the ground. Pools of water trickled around her, drenching her feet and vaporizing as it touched her. "You're choking her. She's fire! And you'll smother her!"

A wave of realization rolled over Elsa, and she ran to Anna's side, falling there and bowing her head. She couldn't even hold Anna, for fear of choking her more. But it didn't seem to matter. Already, Anna's face had turned blue, and she breathed slowly.

"Oh Anna, I'm so sorry."

A big, fat tear rolled down Elsa's cold cheek, and this time it didn't freeze. Warmth radiated steadily from Anna's body, melting the tears as they fell.

"Y-y-our-r not af-f-raid of me?" whispered Anna, opening her eyes slowly.

"Never," said Elsa, managing a smile.

"C-c-an you hold me?"

"But Anna, I'll only make it w—"

"Please," she pleaded, closing her eyes again. So Elsa wrapped her cold arms around Anna's wheezing body and cried as she felt Anna's warmth seep away. No matter how hard she tried, she couldn't wish away the frost. She was ice. And ice was killing Anna again. But this time love wouldn't work. Anna couldn't thaw. She didn't need to.

Anna was the sun.

"Anna," whispered Elsa, knowing full well her sister couldn't hear her anymore, "Please, I can't . . ."

The little princess smiled weakly. "Do you want to build a snowman?" she mumbled, and then expired.


	5. Chapter 5

**A/N**: Wow, thank you so much for the reviews! I really thought no one was reading my story anymore. Lookie, I'm so happy I've written another chapter for you!

Chapter Five

"NO!"

Kristoff's face twisted in agony; but he couldn't run to her, not with the witch still alive and well. Instead angry tears collected in his eyes and he clenched his teeth, doing his best not to strangle Gunda right there and then.

Elsa knelt, motionless, at Anna's side, unable to understand why Anna's cheeks felt so cold. _They're supposed to be warm, _she thought absently. _ Why aren't they warm? _Slowly she took Anna's hand in hers. Those stiff, icy fingers . . .

_"Anna?"_

_The princess grinned from ear to ear, but when Elsa reached out for her, she fled away, laughing. "Can't catch me!"_

_"Anna, please."_

_Anna giggled. "Please what? I can't annoy you anymore, Elsa. You should be glad about that!"_

_Tears welled in Elsa's eyes. "Anna," she whispered, "Please don't go away. Think of Kristoff. And Olaf. Aren't you going to miss them? Don't you . . . don't you want to build a snowman?" _

_The smile on Anna's face vanished, and she answered gravely, "You're safe now, Elsa. That's what matters. You were the hero once. Now it's my turn to protect you. We can't both be here – fire has no place with ice." _

_"Forget the witch! Please come back home; enjoy the sun again. Your sun." _

_ Anna smiled sadly. "Tell Kristoff I love him. And we'll build a snowman again, Elsa. Not now, but we will."_

Elsa stood up shakily, tearing her gaze away from Anna's peaceful face. Straightening her back, the Queen turned to the witch and said frostily,

"Can you bring her back?"

"What—no!" protested Kristoff in alarm, but Gunda slowly smiled.

"If Your Highness so wishes it," she replied, bowing as low as possible in her confined position. "But in order to raise one, I shall have to take another—if Her Majesty would exchange places with Princess Anna: a life for a life . . ."

"Elsa—Your Majesty, please. Don't do this!" cried Kristoff.

"This is Anna's life we're discussing," replied Elsa coldly, "If anyone should be more willing to bring her back, it should be you. _Should _be. Unless you don't love her as much as I thought."

Kristoff's face darkened. "I _do _love her, and that's why I'm saying no. She . . . you can't change what happened," he choked, "People die. Even the one I—even the ones we love the most."

"We're not discussing this, Kristoff," said the Queen grimly, "If you love her, you'll let me save her."

"It's _because I love her _that I'm letting her go!" yelled Kristoff, his voice breaking, "She told me that if I loved her, I'd take care of the people she loved! Don't you understand?! She told me to take care of you in case . . . in case anything happened to her. I won't . . . I can't take back that promise because I love her . . . I can't . . . even if I wanted to see her face again and hear her voice and . . ." His voice gave way, and he began to sniff violently, shoulders shaking.

Elsa's lips tightened, her eyes full of emotion and indecision.

"Please, Your Highness. I won't let you sacrifice your life. Let's return to the village first, and then you can decide."

The Queen closed her eyes wearily. She couldn't think. Not now. "We'll go back," she sighed at last. "Bring the witch and the . . . and Anna."

* * *

"I'm sorry about the princess."

Elsa blinked.

Erik of Arendelle was looking down at her from his perch at the back of the sleigh. Around his waist he had fastened the thick rope that held the witch captive; and even at the furious rate Kristoff was driving, he'd somehow managed to stay on the sleigh.

"We all loved her, Your Highness."

Elsa glanced at him. He had turned slightly away, avoiding her eyes, and something in his voice unsettled her. He almost sounded apologetic. Guilty.

"And we owe much to you as well," he continued, keeping his eyes on the low horizon. "The entire village knows you saved Arendelle from that winter storm."

"I _brought_ that storm."

"And you _fixed_ it," he insisted. "People make mistakes. But they can fix them, and we can forgive."

Elsa's eyebrows narrowed. "I assume you know a lot about forgiveness," she said tightly.

He glanced at her, "Gunda has her reasons."

"For murdering my sister? I respect that very much."

Erik's dark blue eyes flashed. "Her son died," he said roughly, "He was always a stubborn person; when . . . when Gunda told him to stay inside, he didn't listen. They were starving; they needed food. People didn't want their fortunes told at a time like that, so he resorted to begging. Who would go out in a storm like that?" He turned away, staring at his hands and mumbling, "He didn't come back, but there was a nice-looking statue in the town square the next morning."

Elsa listened, shaken. His words dripped with accusation, as if somewhere under them lay the simple truth: _you killed her son. _

He finished quietly, "So if you refuse to forgive the person who killed your loved one, you're just like her."

Elsa fixed her eyes straight ahead, unable to answer. A multitude of thoughts overwhelmed her, and the rest of the ride home was silent.

* * *

Anna wanted to yawn. And itch her nose. And stretch for that matter. But much to her frustration, she couldn't. She could only sigh and grumble, stuck in some tight, claustrophobic pit of darkness. Flames surrounded her, spiraling around her body like chains. The fire blinded her sight, but she thought she could hear someone crying nearby. Something cold numbed her fingers.

_ "Anna?"_

She stiffened, mentally scratching her head.

_"Please, I know you're in there. Just let me . . . no, you're not in there." Sobbing reached her ears. _

"Elsa?" cried Anna, "Elsa, I'm here!"

_"I'm sorry, Anna." _

"Listen to me! I'm right here!"

But slowly the voice grew softer, and the chill melted away. Anna felt like crying. Why couldn't she just die? She'd done the right thing, hadn't she? She'd been the hero; she'd kept Elsa safe. So why did Elsa still have to suffer?

"I'm sorry," whispered the princess, a tear dripping down her cheek, "I'm so sorry."

* * *

_"No!" he snarled, banging his fist on the cavern wall. "She was so close! But that filthy little Ice Deliverer—"_

_"Patience," returned the voice in the darkness. "Don't underestimate her. Mother is more cunning than you think. Don't you fret. We'll finish them."_

_"Yes. Yes! And remove that smug little smile on the Queen's face!" He broke into hysterical laughter. "At least little princess is out of the way. How's death for an open door, Anna love?"_

_"Not so fast, brother. Until the curse is fulfilled, she still lives." _

_"Don't remind me of it!" seethed the other. "We'll finish them, yes. And vanquish that blasted throne of ice!"_

**A/N: **Sooo . . . I know there are a LOT of holes in the story, but I'm hoping to fix those bits soon! Leave me some chocolate (my bunny don't like carrots). xD


	6. Chapter 6

**a/n:** Hey, I'm back! I confused a lot of people in the previous chapter and I'm very, very sorry. Hopefully this bit will clear things up. On the other hand, THANK YOU for such lovely reviews, and on the other, other hand, I'm sorry for taking so long. My bunny exploded from too many sweets and took a while to revive. (That's my excuse for saying I felt this chapter was, and still is, unworthy to be read by you dear readers: hence a great deal of stress in thinking up and revising.) Enjoy!

* * *

Chapter Six

_Several Years Ago . . . _

A young boy tugged at the rope of the water well, beads of sweat pouring down his forehead. His fingers burned, but his cheek hurt even more, still stinging from his mother's hand.

_"Mommy, is Henrik getting better?"_

_"Get water, boy. Your brother's fever is rising."_

_He stepped timidly forward, watching as the woman stroked his brother's hair. _Smack!

_"What are you still doing here? Didn't you hear me?" _

His large blue eyes filled up with tears. He didn't understand. Mama loved him. Of course she did. _But she loved Henrik more. _No, she loved the two of them—the _three _of them. _My three little boys_, she'd always said, before . . . before _that _happened.

"What's wrong with your cheek?"

The boy blinked, startled, and found himself staring into a pair of very large, very blue eyes. He licked his lips, fumbling for an answer, but the young toddler stood smiling at him with a finger up her nose. _Very distracting._

Suddenly another girl stood before him, wrapping her arms around the toddler and whispering, "Hush, Anna! That's not polite." She looked up at him shyly. "I'm sorry. My sister is really young and—"

"That's fine," he mumbled quickly, entranced with her icy blue eyes and snow blonde braid. "It doesn't hurt much."

Curiosity stole into her face. "What happened?" she asked before blushing and pressing her lips tightly together.

"I . . . my mother," he answered lamely. "But it was my fault. My brother's sick."

"So your mother hits you when your brother is sick?" chirped the younger girl just before her sister could clap a hand over her mouth.

"No! Yes? I don't know. He gets really, really sick. And his forehead burns. And when he cries, he says it hurts, so Mommy gets distracted and forgets . . . about me."

"I'm sure she doesn't," said the older girl quietly.

"But I don't understand. Ever since my older brother died and Henrik got sick, Mommy's forgotten all about me. I'm not allowed to sleep with Henrik anymore. Mommy ignores me. She goes to the village every day, unless Henrik's sick—and then she just stays with him. It's like I don't exist, like there's this invisible door shutting me out from everybody."

Suddenly a voice called, "Elsa!" The boy frowned as a memory stirred. His eyes widened as he recognized the name. "You . . . you're the King's—"

"I've got to go," said the girl, tugging at her sister's arm. She gazed at him, smiling sadly, and Impulse completed the morning, prompting the girl to step swiftly forward and plant a kiss on his wounded cheek. "I'm sure your mother loves you," she said bashfully, hurrying away.

He watched them go, his cheeks no longer red from his mother's slap but rather, the kiss of a princess. _I'm sure your mother loves you . . . _How he wished.

* * *

Queen Elsa wanted to die.

She didn't care about Arendelle anymore. Duty didn't matter. Better a sane mind to rule the kingdom than one on the verge of madness.

Anna—dead. No, Anna alive. No, Anna dead.

If only Kristoff hadn't protested. If only he hadn't thrown coals of guilt in her face and brought Anna into the picture. "Anna wouldn't want that," he'd said. "She didn't save you just to let you kill yourself."

But she was as good as dead anyway.

With a blank expression on her face, the Queen watched her sister's murderess stand trial:

"We have a simply case here, gentleman. This woman, Serafine Ethne, otherwise known as Gunda among her people, abducted the Princess Anna. The princess exhibited signs of illness in body and mind; was found; and died. Two people—the official Ice Master Kristoff and the Queen herself—can testify to this. Will Kristoff please stand?"

_Serafine Ethne. _Elsa frowned slightly, playing with the name in her mind. _Serafine Ethne . . . to simply Gunda the witch? _

" . . . She slapped Anna," Kristoff was saying.

"Unnatural behavior of the fortune-teller." "Desperate motives." "Death of son." "Will the Queen please stand?" "Killed her." "Does anyone object?" "Do we have a ruling?"

Slowly, the questions and answers blended together—a jumble of words and nonsense. The witch listened, unmoving, as accusations and solid evidence piled at her feet. She stared across the room to where Elsa sat, straight and pale, promptly answering the investigator's questions. Ice was forming beneath her feet.

Gunda could almost laugh.

"SERAFINE ETHNE, SENTENCED TO DEATH BY HANGING FOR THE CRIMES INFL—"

"_Wait!" _

That's when she laughed.

The courtroom had stilled. Queen Elsa, her face terribly pale, turned to Kai and whispered a few words into his ear. The advisor's eyes widened. "Your Highness," he gasped.

But the Queen had withdrawn, and with a deep breath, Kai announced, "Her Highness has requested a suspension to settle matters with . . . her board."

Gunda smiled as the answer boomed in the courtroom: "SUSPENSION GRANTED. Ruling adjourned till the 30th of December: four days time."

* * *

_"BUT THAT ISN'T FAIR!" Tears streamed down her face. "I have as much right as she does!" _

_"Serafine," sighed the King kindly. "Daughter, I am sorry—"_

_"No, I'm not your daughter. You should have thought twice before you brought me here! You told me I was going to be Queen after you. And I didn't want to; but you taught me, and I spent my whole life thinking . . ."_

_The aged man's face wrenched with sadness. He lifted his shaking hand to stroke the girl's face, and for a moment she closed her eyes and leaned against his hand. But anger overwhelmed her and she tore away._

_"But suddenly your wife had a child!" she cried spitefully, "Suddenly, there was no need for little Serafine Ethne. Arendelle had its own, _legitimate _heir now! Oh joyful day! And what's to happen to the little, adopted girl? She will flee for her life, a threat to this new child!_

_"Yet you let me grow up with her! You let me believe I would still rule—me, the first child! But I'm not your child. I'm the unwanted orphan! So now I'll leave. Now I'll escape this wretched kingdom, and you can have what you wanted: your own child on the throne with a crown on her head! I have no place with her! A firebrand has no place with royalty." _

_The old man shook, breathing rapidly and moaning. "Child, no . . . not unwanted . . ."_

_Agony tore her face. "No!" she cried, flames blazing in her eyes. _

_"Ohh," groaned the King. His lips quivered and he lay still. _

_The fire cooled. "Father?" she murmured, trembling. "Papa?" Shaking, she felt his heartbeat. Silence. Burning tears dropped down her face, and she wrapped her arms around the dead King, _

* * *

"You can save her."

Gunda tore herself from her memories and turned around. Behind the bars of the prison, the Queen stood in quiet defiance.

"How like your mother you look," mused the witch.

"Please don't deviate," replied Elsa stiffly. "I do not wish to discuss my family with you."

"Your family."

"You can save my sister."

"I can," she said softly.

"Save my sister at _whatever _cost, and you will have paid enough restitution for the . . . damage you have done."

"You must love your sister so much—to sacrifice your own life."

"She did it for me," said Elsa grimly. "But perhaps you never knew what it meant to be faithful and love a sister."

"Faithful," murmured the witch, "But to what end?"

* * *

_"Serafine?"_

_She froze at the doorway. _

_"Where are you going?" _

_Taking a deep breath, Serafine turned to face the lovely girl with dark braids. "I . . . I'm leaving, Frida."_

_Frida's eyes widened, "Wait—what? No, you can't leave."_

_"I don't belong here, Frida," she said._

_"But . . . what about Mother? And me? Sisters stay together." _

_Serafine tried to ignore the tears streaming down the young Queen's cheeks. "I'm not your sister, Frida. I'm sorry but . . . You'll forget about me. You're Queen, now. You'll marry someone and have that beautiful daughter you always dreamed about, remember?" _

_"Serafine . . ." choked the princess. _

_The young woman had turned away, her hand on the knob of the door. "I'll always love you, Frida." _

_But that was a lie. She had loved her sister, even if they didn't share the same blood. When Serafine left Arendelle with nothing but the clothes on her back and the bearings of a princess, she never forgot her Queen sister. _

_But what she said would happen happened. _

_Queen Frida never chased after her. Instead, Serafine heard about the marriage of the Queen of Arendelle and a foreign Prince. Instead, she read about the Queen's beautiful, platinum blonde daughter, heiress of the throne. _

_Serafine herself had a son now. Her husband had died young, so she'd resorted to magic and fortune telling to feed her thin, starving baby. How could she still love Frida now? She could only stare helplessly at her crying son and think of those two healthy, happy daughters in Arendelle . . . How could she remain faithful? To what end? _

* * *

"Faithful unto death?" asked Gunda.

"Yes," said Elsa, smiling dryly. "Will you accept?"

"I am at your disposal, Your Highness."

"Then I shall have the guards bring you whatever you ask." Elsa turned away, adding softly, "And whatever I have done to offend you—I am sorry."

"Sorry is not enough," replied Gunda behind clenched teeth.

"My winter killed your son."

Gunda looked up, her eyes glinting. "Who told you that?"

"A commoner. Erik."

At the name, Gunda laughed strangely. "Erik," she spat. "A commoner named Erik."

Unable to make anything of this, Elsa nodded solemnly to the guards and left the prison. "Tomorrow. You will bring back my sister tomorrow."

**a/n: **Ta-da! I probably confused you even more, didn't I? Haha, I'm extremely sorry—actually, I'm not. Mwahahaha! If anyone needs a family tree, though, I'd be happy to oblige. Please, please, please leave some carrots (my bunny turned vegetarian). :D


	7. Chapter 7

Chapter Seven

_Boring. Boring. Boring. Hey, look at that! Boring . . . _

Anna sighed. Her tears had dried. Her worries . . . well, even boring was better than that. Thinking about nothing at all was better than remembering . . .

_"Anna?"_

She stiffened.

_"Anna, you're going to be alright. I promise."_

"Elsa," she whispered.

Then the soft voice turned determined, almost angry. _"I'm going to bring you back, Anna. I _will _bring you back." _

She listened, horrified. "Elsa, no! You can't do that!"

The quiet voice continued shakily_, "If you can hear me, you're probably throwing a tantrum, but that's better than . . . than this. I'll do whatever it takes to bring you back." _

The last words were said in a choked voice, and Anna's heart wrenched violently. "Don't you dare, Elsa!" she cried voicelessly, her rage streaming down in the form of tears. "Don't you dare do that!"

_"Whatever it takes," _said the hushed voice.

Suddenly a new person entered the room. _"Are you sure about this, Your Highness?"_

It was Kristoff.

_"Yes."_

"No! Kristoff! You can't let her do this!"

A muffled sigh reached Anna's ears. _"I . . . Thank you for this, Elsa. She's going to kill me, and I really shouldn't be letting you do this . . . and what am I doing? She really is going to kill me!" _

"Yeah, that's right, buddy! I'm going to DESTROY you if you let her do this!"

She felt a strong hand squeeze hers. _"Come back to me, Anna," he pleaded. "Come back to me." _

Her heart tore in two. If only they could all be together . . . if only . . .

"Bring the prisoner," said Elsa in a commanding tone.

Gunda appeared, two soldiers at her side. She stared, emotionless, at Anna's cold body, set upon a stone table. Another rectangular desk stood beside it, waiting.

"Will she still have her . . . powers when she awakens?" said Elsa.

"Yes. After all, the death of winter heralds warmth and life."

Elsa grimaced. "Then do what you have to do."

Gunda smiled, look expectantly at the Queen.

"Release her," said Elsa.

The shackles rattled to the ground, and the two guards bowed, withdrawing and shutting the door. Only Kristoff, Elsa, and the witch remained with Anna.

"You must lie next to your sister, Your Majesty, on the twin table." Seraphine whirled around her fingers, and sparks began to light around her hands. With one hand she touched Anna's fingers, and with the other she held Elsa's.

The Queen lay still, ice forming beneath her as she tightened her lips. Whenever the sparks on the witch's hand touched her, she clenched her teeth.

Suddenly Seraphine's arms started glowing, and a golden line seemed to flow from Anna's hand into hers, transferring slowly to Elsa.

Softly the witch began to chant:

"Born of fire and summer light,

Ice and death consuming,

Waken, O you warmth and life!

Waken, Beauty blooming!

Born of fire and summer light,

See the fading Ice!

Gaze upon this wintry sight,

Seize the sacrifice!"

* * *

_Anna felt uncomfortable. The heat wasn't subsiding; in fact, it was getting hotter. She didn't mind that, but somewhere near she could feel a cold wind brushing over her. _

_And then she saw her. There lay Elsa, chained beside her; but instead of the flames that licked around Anna, cold ice was spreading around the Queen, beginning at her feet. Anna watched, frightened. _

_A coffin. A coffin was forming over her sister. _

_Elsa could see her too now. They both lay trapped in that dark, endless prison. But the ropes around Anna were actually loosening. _

_"Elsa!" she cried. "What are you doing? You're supposed to be . . . h-happy, and . . . and alive!" _

_Elsa's eyes met hers through a dim haze. She offered a tiny smile. "I'm not sorry, Anna," she said simply. _

_"But . . . but you can't!" sobbed Anna. "You can't do this!" _

_Pain and regret manifested in the Queen's eyes. Her smile dipped, but she tried to be happy. For Anna. "You'll forget about me. You'll be Queen now. You'll marry Kristoff and have a beautiful daughter just like you." _

_"Like . . . like you," said Anna, suppressing her sobs, "She'll be like you. Elsa, I—I can't." _

_Already the chains had fallen away. Anna felt herself slipping out of the darkness. Light blinded her eyes, and she could barely see. The frozen coffin was beginning to seal over Elsa's face, but Anna caught a tear glistening down her sister's cheek before the ice sealed shut. _

_"No." She shook her head violently. "No. No, no, no!" _

_The light dimmed, and she saw Kristoff's face gazing down at her. For a second, the relief and joy in his eyes comforted her, but then the face began to change. No. Not that face. _

_"Hello, my lovely Anna. Miss me?"_

* * *

**a/n: **Yeah, so this is a really short chapter. BUT, my school break is coming, and I'm actually going to be updating more regularly. And besides, I just _had _to end with that. Please, please leave some love! They make me so happy! *hint! *hint!


	8. Chapter 8

**a/n: **thank you for your reviews!

Chapter Eight

Anna couldn't move. Every nerve had frozen, and all she could think of was a pain in her heart that still ached after all these years.

Hans' image flickered in front of her. Hans—with that sympathetic smile and innocent eyes; and now he was grinning at her as though nothing had every happened, as though he hadn't tried to murder her sister and leave her to die.

"Did you miss me, princess?" he said, laughing. "Because I _really _missed you. Honest."

He stood before her, his face appearing and disappearing in turns. Slowly, his outline grew stronger.

"Oh, I'm not a ghost," he continued, "At least, I won't be. But I've been living in that sickish hole for so long that it takes a while to, ah, flesh out, if you know what I mean. You're going through it yourself."

"That's not possible," Anna whispered hoarsely.

"Oh, it's very possible. You and I have experienced what I call being 'half-dead.' But now here we are, very much alive, and your poor sister sacrificed her life. Poor Queen Elsa, giving everything up for . . . well, for _you_."

Anna flinched, anger bubbling up in her chest.

"Just a few more minutes, and the two of us will be actual, real, live people." He sighed. "For the first time in eternity, I'll finally be _alive_."

"But . . . it was only a year ago that you . . . weren't dead," Anna faltered.

Hans laughed. "You don't get it, do you? Well, you were always slow. Poor Anna, forever one step behind." He shrugged, his face becoming clearer. "If you must know, I'm not Hans. But he's told me so much about you that I just had to play around. I hope you don't mind, Your Highness."

"What . . . what are you talking about!?"

"Oh! Where are my manners? Allow me to introduce myself. My name is Henrik Ethne, son of Serafine Ethne and the rightful heir to the throne of Arendelle."

* * *

Kristoff watched, bewildered, as Anna's form wavered and vanished into the air.

"What—where—what did you do?" he demanded.

Serafine sighed, slapping her palm on her forehead. "Patience, peasant! Just a few more minutes and your Anna will be the same bubbly, babbling princess that she was before."

Again Anna's form appeared, but this time another ghost was with her, materializing at an even slower pace.

"What . . ." Kristoff's face paled with recognition.

An eager smile slowly spread across Serafine's face as she watched, and at that moment Kristoff thought she looked so radiant and happy that she almost seemed vulnerable.

Suddenly the door of the room burst open and Erik of the commoners appeared, breathless and disheveled. "No!" he cried, rushing forward to the tomb of ice that held the Queen. Before Kristoff or Serafine could even say anything, Erik's hands burst into flames, and he thrust them into the frozen coffin. The air hissed, and Serafine cried out in fury.

"Erik, you stupid child!" she screamed.

He paid no attention to her, his entire concentration focused on the coffin. Slowly it melted away, and Elsa shivered, her eyes blinking open.

"Anna?" she murmured. As her vision cleared, she gasped sharply. "No!" she cried, struggling as Erik tried to calm her. "Anna!"

* * *

Hans . . . or Henrik . . . suddenly gasped, pain visible in his eyes. "What? No!" he cried, watching with horror as his hands started to disappear again. "NO!"

Anna blinked, gasping softly. She felt something pulling her back into a drowsy sleep, and her skin tingled. She was disappearing too, falling back into that flaming hole. _Well . . . maybe Elsa would come back to life again . . . _she thought dizzily, and as she fell asleep, a little smile stretched across her face.

* * *

"Explain," demanded Elsa.

The guards had entered the room and led a livid Serafine back to her cell. Kristoff slipped quietly out of the room without a word, leaving a grim Erik to deal with the angry Queen.

"How dare you intefere with the Queen's matters," she said softly, her quiet, icy voice even more formidable than Serafine.

"I didn't think the Queen practiced black magic," replied Erik coolly.

"I was saving my sister's life!"

"You were putting your life—and the whole fate of Arendelle, I might add—into the hands of a witch who murdered your sister in the first place. You should consider your life more valuable than that, Your Highness!"

Elsa glared at him, ice forming beneath her feet. "_Who are you?_"

"Erik of the commoners," he replied stiffly.

"You're more than that. I'm not blind, Erik."

"Apparently you are," he muttered, "to trust your sister's murderer."

"What do you have against Serafine, anyway? Don't you pity her? I . . . I killed her son, Erik. You of all people should understand that! I'm a dangerous person. Anna should be ruling Arendelle. Not me."

"Enough with the self-pity! You want to save your sister. I understand that. But we all need to accept losing our loved ones! You can't accept it. Ma—Serafine can't accept it—are you seeing a pattern here—"

"What does this have to do with Serafine?!"

Erik's jaws hardened, and he couldn't reply.

"You're not just Erik of the commoners, are you?" said Elsa suddenly.

"Your Highness," he began, choosing his words carefully, "You don't know who Serafine is, what she's capable of. You trust her too much. If you can tell me why you trust her, then I'll tell why you shouldn't."

Elsa took a deep breath. She could feel Erik's hard gaze directed at her. Lifting her eyes to meet his equally, she began, "I calculated all the problems that could have gone wrong the moment I let Serafine free and gave my life into her hands. People are driven by revenge, aren't they? Serafine's son died because of me, so killing me would satisfy the mother. Serafine made it clear none of her anger had anything to do with Anna. I would die, Serafine's thirst for satisfaction would be quenched, and Anna would . . . would be alive."

"And if something went wrong? If it turns out Serafine wanted more than revenge? People can be driven by more than that, Your Highness."

Elsa tilted her head slightly, catching the bitterness in his voice. "Then," she said slowly, "Then Kristoff would call the guards and Serafine would be locked away until Anna's safety is guaranteed."

"That's where your calculations went wrong," he murmured. His eyes met hers, but they seemed distant, as if they were gazing at a different world. "Serafine is much more powerful than your Ice Deliverer or the best of the Arendelle guards. Much more powerful and driven by much more than revenge over a lost one. Serafine wants more. And with you out of the way, she can get it."

Elsa's eyebrows lifted, and she gave him a quizzical look. "Keep going."

"A history lesson is too long, and I was never one for storytelling."

"Neither am I," she cut in smoothly.

Erik sighed, and the Queen saw a tired look in his eyes. "Serafine Ethne is your aunt, Your Highness, and deluded by the thought that her sons should be rightful heirs of the throne."

Elsa's lips tightened. She narrowed her eyes: "If you are playing with me, Erik of the commoners, you will suffer for it. I'm not one to be trifled with." As if to prove her point, wisps of snow began to orbit her fingers.

"Neither am I."

"I have no aunt. My mother had no sister."

"Yes, but . . ." Erik hesitated. "Your mother had a stepsister. The King of Arendelle—your grandfather—believed he would never have an heir. No son. No daughter. But he found an orphan, a little girl with manners like a little princess. Your grandfather was so charmed by her that he took her into his care, training her to one day take the throne of Arendelle. But they didn't know a baby girl would actually be born, a beautiful, healthy little princess—the rightful heiress to the throne."

"My mother," murmured Elsa. "But how could _you_ know all this? Unless you were simply telling stories. . ."

Erik glared at her, undaunted by her accusation. "I'm not lying!"

"Then how do you _know_? Where's the proof of your story?"

"I'M HER SON!" yelled Erik, "I'm the scum of that woman who tried to kill the Princess and almost killed the Queen!"

Elsa was struck dumb, as though he had dealt a blow over her head.

"I wanted no part in this!" he raged, "My brothers have always wanted the throne, but I never did! All I wanted was a mother to love me, and a Queen to rule over me with justice and mercy!" His entire frame shook violently, and he turned from her, clenching his fists.

"You . . . you were that boy," whispered Elsa, shocked, "the boy at the well."

"My mother won't have any difficulty undermining the throne after you've gone," said Erik behind clenched teeth. "And I can tell you why."

Elsa couldn't bear anymore. She didn't want to hear more truth. She had an aunt. Perhaps an aunt who'd been hurt, who'd suffered from injustice and poverty. Erik could be the heir to the throne, but he'd refused it and saved her life. And now he was about to tell her why he rescued her and why Elsa's calculations had all spiraled into a black hole.

"No," whispered Elsa.

Erik faced her, his face a mask of pain and hurt. Then without a word, he burst into flames.


End file.
